Changeable-speed-transmission mechanism.



G. W. PRICE.

CHANGEABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED 050.29. 19H.

1,153,569. Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

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as S- Q L WITNESSES: N INVENTOH W I %7 Zine A TTORNEV COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINCITDN. D. Q

G. w. PRICE. CHANGEABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED DEC.2S. I914.

1,153,569. Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

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'7*./I7MY ATTORNEY cowmnm PLANOGRmD WASHINGTON, D c

G. W. PRICE.

CHANGEABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29. 1914.

1,153,569. Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

A TTOR/VEY 'UNTTFD @TATltlfii PATENT @FFTC GOMER W. PRICE, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 HENRY L. SMITH, OF SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA.

CHANGEABLE-SPEED IRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

Application filed. December 29, 1914. Serial No. 879,568.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GoMnn 'W. PRICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Changeable Speed Transmission Mechanisms, of which the following is a speclfication.

My invention relates to changeable-speed transmission mechanisms, as applied to selfpropelled vehicles, particularly traction-en V gines.

my invention consists in the novel mechanism which I shall now fully describe by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my transmission mechanism, the planetary l reverse being in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, the bevel drives being in section. Fig. 3 is a section, enlarged, on the line mcc of Fig. 1, showing in side elevation, broken, the clutch drums and clutch spider. Fig. 4 is an edge view of the same, half in elevation and half in central section.

1 is the driving shaft.

2 is the driven shaft.

3 is the vehicle frame and 4 is a bearing on said frame for the driven shaft.

The driving shaft is connected with the driven shaft both for forward rotation and for reverse, by a gear assembly of the planetary type. This may be of any approved form. 1 have for illustration, shown a simple familiar construction, the details of which are sufficiently shown in Fig. 1. Keyed on the driving shaft is a hub 5, which has the driving pinion 6. Keyed on the driven shaft is a hub 7 which has the driven pinion 8. 9 is ahousing or case usually termed a pinion-carrier. The hub of this case at one end is fitted to rotate on the hub 5 of the driving shaft pinion, and at its other end is rotatably mounted on the hub 7 of the driven shaft pinion. The case 9 carries the usual assembly of planetary pinions. One set 6 engages with the driving shaft pinion 6 and another set 8 engages with the driven shaft pinion 8. The pinions 6 and 8 also interengage. 9 is the usual brake-band for the case 9. It will be seen from this arrangement that when the case 9 is held stationary by the brake-band9 the motion of the driven shaft is reversed.

For the forward drive, the case 9 is locked to the driven shaft. This is doneby a suitable clutch device, of whichlO is a clutch drum bolted to the case9. 11 is an expanding spider engaging said drum, said spider having a hub 12 keyed on the drivenshaft 2. The expansion and contraction of said spider, in order to engage and to release the clutch drum 10, is effected through its toggle rods 13 and the sliding collar 14 mounted freely on the spider hub 12. The details of this clutch are more fully shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which illustrate a similar clutch in another part of the mechanism.

Normallythe spider engages the clutch drum so that forward rotation is transmitted through the case 9, but when the clutch drum is released by the contraction of the clutch spider, the case 9 is free from the shaft and can be held by its brake-band to effect the reversal of the driven shaft. The neutral position is, of course, that in which the case is free so that its pinions travel around in true. planetary style.

The speeds forward and reverse-one, two, three or more in number, (for simplicity two being here shown), a high and a low, are obtained as follows: 15 is a shaft at right angles to the driven shaft. At its middle is keyed a hub 16, having flanges 17v at each end. To these flanges are bolted clutch drums 18 and 19. These are symmetrically oppositely disposed, but only one of them, namely 18, carries the changeable speed gears. These gears are concentric, the outer one20being for the low speed and the inner one 21 for the high speed. Freely mounted upon the driven shaft 2 is the low speed pinion 22 and the high speed pinion 23. These are severally to be connected with the driven shaft, by means of a clutch colhr 24 slidably mounted onathe shaft between the two pinions, with either of which it may be selectively thrown into engagement. Upon cross shaft 15, at each side of the median hub 16, is freely mounted a rotatable hub, 25, upon which are slidably carried the clutch collars 26, one on each hub, said collars carrying the expansion toggles 27 of the clutch spiders 28 which engage and relieve the clutch drums 18 and 19. The hubs 25, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, have arms 29, in the extremities of which are pivoted the connecting links 29 which lead to and are connected with the spiders 28. Upon the outer end of each hub 25 is carried the sprocket 30 from which the motion is to be transmitted to propel the vehicle. It will now be seen that when the clutch spiders 28 engage the clutch drums 18 and 19,-the hubs 25 and their sprockets 30 will berotated at low or high speed according to whether the low or high speed pinion is 35 is a bearing for the end of the driven shaft 2;

In variable-speed transmissions of a type shown, for example, by the patent issued to meApril 29, 1913, No. 1,060,021, the direct drives areelfected through one clutch drum and the reverse is had through the otheror opposing clutch; drum. This necessitated movements and complications found to be not very satisfactory. Butby confining the drive or drives to one clutch drum and using with. this a planetary arrangement for the reverse, I have overcome previous drawbacks andsam enabled to obtain forward drive and instantaneous reverse on all speeds,-.which, as far as I am now aware is a; feature not found in any'other tractor. A fe'atureof importance to be noted in this construction is that the cross shaft 15 is capable of rotation independently of the motion transmitting devices which propel the vehicle. The propelling power being transmitted through the hubs 25, rotatably mounted on the cross shaft 15, is only called into .action when the clutch spiders 28 are operated- WVhen these spiders are contracted the hubs 25 are at rest and the vehicle is not propelled; but the cross shaft 15 isnevertheless driven from the shaft 2, throughv its pinion or pinions, thegear carrying clutch drum 18 and the median hub 16 keyed tosaid cross shaft. This cross shaft 15 may, therefore, be used to convey power. for any supplementary or additional purpose without throwing the traction mechanism into action. I

I claim Y 1. Inchangeable-speed transmission-mechanisms,ithe.combination of a shaft; a pinion rotatably mounted on the shaft; means forthrowingsaid pinion into and outof rotating connection with the said shaft; a 1 cross shaft; a gear fixed thereto and co-actingwith the pinion on the first named shaft; a clutch drum fixed to said cross-shaft adjacentto the gear thereon; a sleeve rotatable on the cross-shaft and carcopieagof this patent-may. be=o1at.ained .forxfive cents each, by addressing; the 1 Commissioner 0f.-:1.2'l!nt8;l

2. In changeable-speed transmission-mechanisms, the combination of a shaft; a pinion rotatably mounted on the shaft; means for throwing said pinion lnto and out of rotating connection with the said shaft;

a cross shaft; a gear fixed thereto and co-acting with the pinion on the first named shaft; a sleeve rotatable on the cross shaft and carrying at one end thereof a power transmitting member; and a control able friction clutch to throw'said sleeveinto and out of rotating connection with the cross shaft, one member of said clutch being carried by the gear upon saidcross shaft, and the other member being fixed to said sleeve. In changeable-speed transmission-mechanisms, the combination of a shaft; across: shaft; a clutch-drum carried by -said crossshaft, said drum carrying a gear; a:-hub rotatable on the cross-shaft and carrying a power transmitting member; a. con trollable clutch-spider carried by-said hub and adapted to engage and torelease the clutch-drum; and a pinion on the first named shaft meshing with the gearon" the clutch-drum. V

4 In changeable-speed transmission-mechanisms,the combination of a shaft; a crossshaft; a pair of opposing clutch-drumscarried by said: cross-shaft, one: only of said drums carrying gears of different diameters; a pair of independent hubs rotatable on the cross-shaft, each hubi carrying, a power transmitting member; independently controllable clutch-spiders, one carried by each hub and adapted to engageand release the clutch-drums independently; independent pinions freelyrevoluble: on the first named shaft, said pinions meshing with the gears on the clutch-drum; and means for severally and selectively making said pin ions fast on their shaft;

5. In changeable-speed transmissi'on mech- I anism, the combination of a shaft a rotaL table cross-shaft; meansfor rotating said cross-shaft from the first named shaft; a

hub independently rotatable on the: cross shaft and" carry ng a power-transmitting; member; and means for=throw1ng=sa1d=hub llltO and out of rotatingconnect1on"withthe cross-shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificationin the presence :of two SHbSCIlblIlQW1tI1eSS6S Y eoMER'w PRICE." l/Vitnesses;

WM. F. BOOTH, D. B. RICHARDS.

Washington, D. 0. 

